The rain drowned out the last of her words as it picked up, soaking them both as the others ran inside to take shelter. The deluge came down, blocking her from his view, and his sympathy broke. The connection he felt, the confusion, all of it washed away. His anger and irritation renewed itself, hurtling him forward.

“Spare me,” he sneered. “Gods, spare me.”

And then he was inside, blind to everything but the stairs where Jacques waited. His companion appeared surprised but said nothing as Ben passed. Soaked to the bone, he was numb to the chill in the house. All he could feel or would allow himself to feel, was the hate he’d built up for the sad, solemn woman he’d left in the rain.

Welcome home, Ben thought bitterly. Welcome home, indeed.

THE PRODIGAL SON

REMI

Remi stood in a shallow pool of rainwater.

She waited patiently for Elise to bring her a blanket as the drip-drop echoed in the empty, cool foyer, distracting her from the chattering of her teeth. Ben’s dismissal had left her shocked.

“Ma cherie,” Elise called out, winded as she rounded a corner. “I found you a blanket. Martin is in the kitchen warming some tea, as well.”

“Thank you,” Remi murmured as she wrapped herself tightly in the scratchy fabric. It was an old blanket, but warm enough.

“What a brutish thing to do,” Elise offered, “leaving you out in the rain like that.”

Remi pulled the blanket around her tighter. The fabric was coarse under her fingertips as if it had been made from Ben’s anger. “It was my fault for standing out there in the first place. I was too...eager.”

“Hm.” Elise crossed her arms. “I suppose I can’t disagree with you now, can I?”

“No, you can’t.” Remi smiled weakly, glancing at the stairs. She needed to change, but bumping into him in the hall was a risk she did not want to take.

“It could have been worse,” Elise said.

Remi stiffened. “He hates me, Elise.”

“He might.” Elise shrugged.

The sour taste on the back of Remi’s tongue burned. “You’re not meant to agree with me!”

“He’s deeply serious.” Elise ignored her cousin’s alarm, answering her own question from earlier that morning. “Did you get a good look at him?”

“No.” Remi pulled the blanket to her face and caught a trail of water dripping down her cheek. “It was difficult to make him out in the rain,” she lied. Of course, she’d seen him. Her heart stopped the second they found one another. He was all angles, with sharp cheekbones and a distinct brow-line that dipped into a deep ‘v’ when he scowled. They were as expressive as his eyes, which were so dark they shone like polished onyx. They seemed to reflect more than the rain and lightning. Remi surmised they held a great deal more than just the surface of his disdain for her, and she wanted to know every thought that hid within his darkness.

“He’s handsome,” Elise started, circling her cousin. A hand fell against Remi’s back as Elise ushered her forward. “And tall. Quite tall, in fact, and his hair is darker somehow, black like his…well, like his father’s.”

“Elise.”

But she went on, the teasing in her tone hinting at mischief. “Such broad shoulders, and my stars, did you see his lips? There is potential there, if only he did not frown so much. They seem very soft.”

“Is your corset too tight, Elise?” Remi snidely remarked as they approached the first step.

“You must have noticed.” Elise pushed.

“It’s indecent. Especially when you’re already engaged.” Remi broke away from her cousin, spearing her with a sharp look. It bothered her that Elise was so perfectly dry while she no doubt resembled a wet foal. Though, in truth, she was made more uncomfortable by Elise’s loosened tongue than she was by the growing heaviness of her gown.

Elise rolled her eyes emphatically. “Hugo? He’s dull, and his foul mood is as bad as his taste in suits.”

Remi could hardly protest. Hugo was more than her fiancé, though; he was also her father’s business partner. Over the years, he ingratiated himself with the family so thoroughly that news of their engagement never came as a shock. Except to Elise. She hated the idea as much as she hated Hugo. They weren’t a match, but that didn’t stop the ladies of the wedding brigade from joining Beline in her daughter’s life and future planning.

“That doesn’t excuse you.” Remi chided.

“Ma cherie, please. They were merely observations.” Elise waved her off. “You should try to make amends. Extend an olive branch during supper. I’m sure he’ll be happier once he’s had a decent meal.”

“Supper?” Remi couldn’t imagine having a stimulating conversation with him, not after he’d snuffed her so thoroughly.

“Yes.”

“But—”

Elise’s expression hardened. She looked like her mother when she was serious. “His father died—your husband.”

“You needn’t remind me.”

Elise took the first two steps up, a gesture for Remi to follow. “Supper will be soon. Perhaps we should get you changed.”

Remi responded with a shiver.

The thought of changing into something dry and drinking a cup of warm tea brightened her a little, but as they reached the second floor, Remi heard Ben’s voice, and her earlier anxieties returned with a vengeance. It was warm and friendly, and it surprised her to see him conversing so easily with Slyvie, who was seemingly dazzled by him. So, he could be a charming gentleman. Neither of them paid any mind to the two women ascending the stairs. It would have been the perfect moment for Remi to slip by unnoticed if Elise hadn’t stopped her halfway from retreat.

“Not so fast, cousin,” Elise hissed, giving her a push in the opposite direction. “Go and talk to him. I’ll gather your garments.”

“I would prefer not to,” Remi argued.

A devious smile curled along Elise’s lips. “Remember what Mother would say.”

Remi frowned. “You are a cruel torturer.”

Elise batted her eyes and flipped her hair back dramatically. “I know.”

An unspoken ‘you’ll thank me later’ passed between them as Elise left her one step from the landing. Ben and Sylvie had moved further away now, closer to an open door down the hallway to the guest quarters. Their voices still reached her, though their words were muted.

He’s just a man, Remi thought as she pulled her blanket tighter. It was damp from her clothes, its warmth completely lost. I won’t let him intimidate me!

“A warm bath would be nice,” Ben said as Remi came closer.

“Of course, sir.”

“Thank you, Sylvie.” He moved from her side and lingered in the doorway, turning at the sound of Remi’s approach.

Elise was right—Ben was handsome. Sixteen years marked itself on him, and even Sylvie could not be faulted for lingering. He was unlike any of the other men on the island. He could sport any number of expressions, and still, his charm would make itself known. His jaw was strong, like his high cheekbones, and his nose was long but regal. The confidence he exuded was an undeniable part of his appeal. None of the hours and days she spent fantasizing about him could hold a candle to the man standing before her.

“Oh, Madame! I didn’t see you there.” Sylvie startled, nearly dropping the laundry in her arms.